Tack-strip.



J. MUTH.

TACK STRIP.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.28,1911.

1,045,591, Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

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IINIT TT JOHN MUTH, OF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT. ASSIGNOR TO THE E. H.I-IOTCHKISS COMPANY, OF NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

TACK-STRIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1912.

App1ication filed September 28, 1911. Serial No. 651,749.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN Morn, a citizen of the United States, residingat Norwalk, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, have invented anImprovement in Tack- Strips, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a tack strip adapted foruse in the class of driving machines in which each actuation of aplunger severs a tack from a strip, drives the tack and feeds the stripforward, leaving the next tack in position to be out off and driven, andthe invention consists in a strip comprising a series of tacks havingangular heads placed in staggered relation, that is on each side of amedian line alternately, the strip being continuous at the center onlyand port-ions only of the heads of contiguous tacks being joined so thatwhile the tacks are connected together securely enough to permit thestrips to be handled freely in use, but little metal is re quired to becut in severing a tack from the strip.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tack strip in whichthe tacks shall lie in two independent rows or lines, thus enabling meto use in the driving machine a central rib over which the strip rideswith lines of tacks on opposite sides of the rib, which is an importantadvantage as it enables the strip to be held more securely andpractically eliminates danger of slipping or failure, from any cause, ofthe feeding move ment.

With these and other objects in view I have devised the novel tack stripwhich I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forminga part of this specification and using reference characters to indicatethe several parts:

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my novel tack strip; Fig. 2 aside elevation and Fig. 3 an endview corresponding therewith; Figs. 4c,5 and 6 are respectively a plan view, side elevation and end view of aslightly variant form of the invention; and Figs. 7 8 and 9 arerespectively a plan view, side elevation and end view of another variantform of the invention.

10 denotes the heads, 11 tacks and 12 a continuous connecting strip bywhich the inner ends only of the contiguous sides of the heads of tacksare joined. The heads and tacks are formed mechanically by the operationof punches and dies leaving the central connecting strip. The uppersurface of the strip is flat and smooth, the heads are of uniform shapeand size and the tacks are approximately centrally disposed on theheads.

The invention is not limited to any special configuration of the tacksor thickness of the heads.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the head comprises but asingle thickness of metal and the upper end of the tack is formed fromthe metal of the head, parallel cuts being made inward from one side andextending nearly to the center, the separated portion which forms theupper end of the tack being bent at a right angle to the head, as willbe readily understood from Fig. 1 in connection with Figs. 2 and 3.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a wider strip of metal isused. The full length of the tacks is left projecting from one edge ofthe head and the metal is folded upon itself as at 13 in Fig. 6, thefold being wide enough to carry the tack to the center of the head, thetack being bent at right angles to the head as before. In this form,approximately one-half of the head consists of a single thickness ofmetal, and the other half, which comprises the portion to which the tackis attached, consists of two thicknesses of metal.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the full head of each tackcomprises a double thickness of metal. In the forms illustrated in Figs.1 to 3 and 4 to 6, inclusive, the metal removed from between the heads,as at 14, is waste. In the form illustrated in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive,this metal from between a pair of heads on one side of central strip 12is folded backward upon itself and forms a portion of the head of theintermediate tack on the opposite side of the central strip, asindicated by 15 in Fig. 9.

It will be noted that the difference between the heads in the second andthird forms consists solely in this fold 15, the effect of which is tomake the head in the third form a double thickness of metal throughout.The metal cut away at the spaces 14 between the heads, whether it isentirely removed and becomes waste or is folded backward upon itself toform a portion of the head of the intermediate tack on the opposite sideof the central strip, reduces the quantity of metal that must be severedat each actuation of the plunger of a machine to the minimum but leavesquite suflicient metal to permit the strips to be packed and handled inuse without danger of breaking them.

From the foregoing it will be clear that in all forms of the invention,the arrangement of the tacks, or shanks, 13 is such that a continuousgroove is provided in the strip for the supporting rib of the feedingmechanism by means of which the strip can be readily fed to position tobe acted on by the cutter, While at the same time lateral or otherdisplacement of the strip is prevented.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. A tack strip formed of a single sheet of material and comprisingheads in staggered relation, the inner ends of the contiguous sides ofsaid heads being joined and forming a continuous centrally disposedlongitudinal body, each of said heads being provided with a shank, saidshanks forming a continuous longitudinal groove.

2. A tack strip formed of a single sheet of material and comprisingheads in stag; gered relation, each head having a centrally disposedshank, the inner ends of the contiguous sides of said heads being joinedand forming a continuous centrally disposed longitudinal body, each ofsaid heads being provided With a centrally disposed shank, said shanksforming a continuous longitudinal groove.

3. A tack strip comprising heads in staggered relation with spacesbetween them, the inner ends of contiguous sides being joined, each headhaving a shank formed integral therewith and projecting at right anglesthereto and the metal removed from the spaces being bent backward uponitself and forming a head of double thickness.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

JOHN MUTH.

Witnesses:

l/VM. A. CURTIS, F. E. WILoox.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

